sermonette: A Sacrifice Is An Investment

Offertory
John W. Ritenbaugh
Given 11-Oct-03; Sermon #FT03-02s; 16 minutes

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But I gave an offering sermon on the Day of Atonement that was built around the concept that God wants us to make a spirit of generosity, especially in making of a sacrifice a vital and consistent part of our life. Now included in that sermon was the mention of the principle of reciprocity, which literally means give and take. And this principle of reciprocity is actually part of the larger, broader principle of whatever one sows, that shall one also reap. Now in regards to reciprocity, God deals with us then in pretty much the same manner that we deal with Him or with other others of mankind. And this principle, when it is combined with the spirit of generosity, produces an assurance that we will be provided for because what we are doing is in alignment with God's will. Now this sermon is part of that same general subject, but it carries the thought through into another aspect. And that aspect is that sacrificing which often comes into play when a spirit of generosity is involved, is generally thought of as being a loss. That is something that we give up, and once it is given. It may very well be gone forever. Now brethren, that thought is a grave. Maybe I should say can be a grave misconception. Rather closer to being correct is that a sacrifice may indeed be a loss at first. A sacrifice though is very often, in fact, most often, an investment that produces greater rewards later on. In II Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 6, we are just going to look at that verse briefly, make a connection with it and sort of use it as a springboard as we go on. II Corinthians 9. And in verse 6, where Paul wrote. But I say, but this, I say, he which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Now I want you to consider for a moment the Lance Armstrong illustration that I used during my trumpet sermon. He sacrificed his time and his energies, conditioning himself through a rigorous discipline for what he considered to be a far greater future reward of winning the race. He gave up. That is, he made as an offering a major part of his life in this rigorous training in order that another part of his life would be greatly enhanced. Now not everybody sacrifices a portion. Of his or her life to the degree that Lance Armstrong did, but I would say that vir virtually everybody does follow the same principle very, very often. Now in his case, Whether or not making such a tremendous degree of sacrifice. Uh, for what is in reality. A sheer vanity Needs to be weighed in the balance. But the fact that he made a very clear sacrifice that consisted of many, many smaller individual sacrifices. was done in order to produce what occurred, something that I think only one other person in all of the history of bicycle racing has ever done. Now that is in a nutshell, what this sermon is about. And I want us to see that in most cases, sacrifice is in reality, something that can produce wonderful rewards for many, if it is done in a spirit of generosity of spirit, and wisdom. Can't leave that out. And that part means that it is done in accordance with God's will. Now we are in 2 Corinthians. Let's turn to chapter 4 and verse 7. I'm going to read 11 verses here just to give us another little overview. II Corinthians 4:7. But we have this treasure, meaning this knowledge of God in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. We are troubled. Listen to this. We are troubled on every side. We are distressed. We are perplexed. But he says of himself and the rest of the ministry, but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. Already you can begin to see that see that he is talking about sacrificing. He made an investment. In order that the life of Christ might be seen in him, and not in him only, but all of those people that he was sacrificing for. That Christ would be seen in them as well. Now would that ever have been produced if someone like Paul had not done what he did? You know, he had to make choices too. But he chose to make a sacrifice of his life, giving his time and energies so that others would profit from what he did. Verse 11, For we which live are always delivered unto death. That's quite a sacrifice. For Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death works in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written, I believe, and therefore I have spoken, we also believe and therefore we speak, knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by the Lord Jesus and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many produce the glory produce redound to the glory of God, for which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Now Paul applied that whole thing to himself and the ministry that was serving with him, but in principle, it applies to anybody who is following the way of God and sacrificing themselves for it. So the apostle Paul's entire life. After he was called, was a sacrifice on behalf of the church, and I do not think that there is any of us who would call what he did, including martyrdom, a loss either for himself or the church. And almost 2000 years later, that is after he died. We And mankind are still receiving benefits on his investment. His faithful life given in service to God and man, was a huge investment in the growth and continuity of the church for all those at that time and all who were brought salvation after his death, including us, and it goes on and will include those in later judgments who will also be receiving the benefit of his sacrifice. Let's go to Philippians 2, and we will take a brief look at the life of Christ. Philippians 2 and verse 5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God did not think it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. Not this sacrifice. He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. Became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God has also highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God and the Father. Now Jesus was the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the earth, and the offering of his life began before Earth was created. It continued after he emptied himself, and it did not end until his resurrection. Now what huge dividends it has paid for all again, including himself. As these verses show. We will not turn to Romans 8:29, but that tells us that this was done. That is what Jesus did was done that we might be conformed to Him and thus also become, he also then becomes the first born of many brethren. And that is one of the major dividends that accrue from the offering of his life. Now in sports there is a broad principle. That covers what I am saying here. It's very brief. No pain, no gain. In other words, Without an investment That on the surface carries some risk of loss. There is no reward or profit. Now I think that we all generally understand this broad principle. We're in Philippians, we are going to turn to chapter 3. Back to Paul again, beginning in verse 8. He says, yeah, doubtless, and I count all things but loss. There is a sacrifice for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them as but done that I may win Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Now why did he do this? That I may know him. And the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings being made conformable unto his death if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, not as though I had already attained either were already perfect, but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I am. I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus, and he says, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press just like Lance Armstrong, I press toward the mark for the prize of the My calling of God in Christ Jesus, let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded, and if anything you in anything you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing. In the first part of the chapter, Paul states his pedigree. As a Benjamite Jew. This was of course before his calling and conversion. And he sacrificed it. He gave it up. He counted it as garbage, and that sacrifice was actually the investment that freed him to offer his life as an opportunity or to an opportunity with a much greater potential to it. The prize of his high calling in Jesus Christ. Now this same opportunity and challenge is placed before us. But like Paul and like Jesus, it requires the sacrifice. Of our old man that burns all the bridges that lead back to this world, and we are called to be a living sacrifice so that we would not be conformed to this world. That sacrifice is our investment to be totally committed. Now think of this in terms of the stock market and money for just a bit. Now why is it that people commit money to an investment in stocks and bonds issued by a company or the government? Is it not because they expect to gain? From what might be a very considerable investment, a sacrifice on their part. You know, people do not willingly invest in something that they know is going into the tank. And turned belly up in a very short time. They invest in what they feel is safe and will give them an adequate return. They invest because they believe in that company. Now brethren, we are employed by a work that is sure fire and it cannot fail. To bring a return on the investment even though it might cost us considerably in terms of sacrifice. God wants all of us. I mean, brethren, the totality of each life fully committed to the product that he is producing and the way that it is produced, and nobody can do it better. Nobody has a higher success rate, and nobody can outgive God. Our present apparent losses because we are sacrificing in order to do things his way is but for a short time, and the payoff will be immensely greater. Than the puny amount invested when we look back in retrospect from the kingdom of God. The same principle is involved in every act of faith. That is made in accordance with God's will. So brethren, it's time to change your thinking, to change your concept of sacrificing for God's work, God's way, and His kingdom from giving up to investing in.